Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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100. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he is aware that persons in receipt of a widow/widower’s pension and under 70 are not entitled to free travel for a companion, while their counterparts entitled to free travel who have a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can travel for free with them; if he will consider extending free travel for companions to these widow’s/widower’s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52276/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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A Free Travel Companion Pass entitles the holder to have any one person, aged 16 years or over, to accompany them free of charge when travelling. As part of Budget 2025 it was announced that a Free Travel Companion Pass will be assigned to all those aged over 70 from September 2025, this includes those who are single or bereaved partners aged over 70.

For those under the age of 70 the type of pass a person receive from my Department is based on their circumstances.

A spousal type pass is available to Free Travel recipients who are married in a civil partnership or co-habiting. This pass allows a person’s spouse or partner to join them for free when travelling. One of the conditions for receipt of a Bereaved Partners Pension is that they must not be cohabiting with another person. Therefore, a single travel pass is issued to those in receipt of the Bereaved Partners Pension.

A Free Travel Companion Pass is only issued to Free Travel Pass holders aged under 70 who on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. A person in receipt of a Bereaved Partners Pension, who is unable to travel alone can of course apply for a companion type travel pass.

Any decision to extend the Free Travel scheme to allow those aged under 70 and in receipt of a Bereaved Partners Pension to automatically receive a Free Travel Companion Pass would require additional funding for the Free Travel scheme and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.